In Love And War
by John Riehle
Summary: CoAuthored by Miracleboy5200. Drakken has come up with a new form of Synthodrone, and is determined more than ever to tear apart Kim's entire life.
1. Breakfast With The Family

_"All warfare is based on deception."- Sun Tzu_

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The idea that the corporate world never sleeps is simply absurd. After ten o'clock, it can practically be heard to snore. Certainly, no exception could be made to the corporate headquarters of Beuno Nacho. It's otherwise busy and hectic offices were completely dead at eleven thirty at night, much to the benefit of the two intruders moving around atop its roof.

"He's here somewhere, I know it." A tall figure growled in frustration, holding a scanning device of his own design in his hand as he continued to take trace readings of the roof beneath him.

"Ok, you know what," the other figure replied, letting out a yawn as she spoke, "this is nowhere in my contract. I checked."

"Shego!" The first exclaimed in frustration.

"I checked twice." She replied confidently.

"Well maybe if you'd give me a hand, we would have found him already." He insisted through clenched teeth.

"Hey, I do the important stuff around here. All the lame science projects you come up with are your problem. You want to look for goo, you look for it." Shego replied simply, her tone of voice indicating that the issue was not up for further discussion.

The blue skinned doctor let out another growl before returning to his work. "All I need is just the smallest sample to reconstitute him. There has to be some of him still on top of this roof. There just has to be."

"You know, it was raining that night. He probably just got washed away." Shego argued.

"Nonsense. His chemical density should… wait." Dr. Drakken paused for a second as his scanner presented new readings. His eyes focused closely on the data his instrumentation indicated before he exclaimed delightedly. "I found him!"

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"Ready?" A young male voice asked hesitantly.

"Ready." A second voice affirmed.

"Set?" The first voice asked, his finger hovering ominously over the button to start the process.

"Set." The second prepared himself.

"Initiate breakfast sequence." Jim pressed the button on the microwave, and then took a step back alongside his brother as the kitchen appliance began to emanate an ominous red glow. Through the small door window, Tim watched as their breakfast waffles were cooked at temperatures hot enough to melt steel.

After only a second or two, the microwave let out a slight ding to indicate the process was completed, even as the dark crimson glow coming from the microwave died down.

Tim moved a step ahead of his brother to open the microwave door and observe the success of the experiment.

"Hoosha!" Tim exclaimed, grabbing a pair of kitchen gloves as he held out the plate.

"The world's first thermo grilled waffles!" Jim marveled at their success as he beheld the perfectly cooked breakfast delicacies.

"Boys!" The twin's father had observed the unnatural red glow from the kitchen and had come in with his morning paper already in hand. "Boys, how many times do I have to tell you, breakfast is no time to experiment on… hey, waffles." Mr. Dr. Possible exclaimed rather pleasantly at the aroma and sight. "Don't mind if I do." And with that, the rocket scientist casually swept the plate from his son's hands, carrying it over to his place at the table.

"Hey, those are ours!" Jim moved to protest, but was halted by his brother.

"No, wait. This means we can make them again!" Tim explained with almost wicked delight.

"Hicka-bicka-boo." Jim grinned with the same almost twisted grin before moving to the refrigerator with his brother.

"Morning." Kim Possible greeted her family as she entered the kitchen in search of food, leaning over to give her father a kiss on the cheek as she moved, both her and her father seemingly oblivious to another powerful red glow coming from the microwave, around which her brothers were gathered, which quickly dissipated and vanished as she turned around.

"Morning, Kimmie-cub." Her father responded as he began eating his pilfered breakfast.

"Hey waffles. Great. I'm hungry." Kim moved to grab another hot, well cooked batch, snatching it, almost absent mindedly from her brothers, causing the pair to look up at their older sister in frustration, forcing them to grab some more from the fridge.

"Say, these are delicious!" Kim exclaimed to her father. "We should probably leave some out for mom when she gets home."

"Good point. You know how your mother gets after working an all nighter." The father of the house looked away from his paper to catch a glance of the kitchen clock. Realizing what time it was, he slowly began counting aloud. "Three, two, one."

Kim's confusion was explained away as the front door swung open, admitting entrance to a tall, rather enthusiastic blond haired man.

"Greetings Casa de Possible. And how are we on this fine morning… hey, waffles!" Ron Stoppable exclaimed, grabbing a just cooked plate out of Jim and Tim's hands, leaving the twins to sigh in frustration yet again as they went back to the fridge.

"Hey Ron." Kim nearly jumped out of her seat, leaning forward to give him a light kiss on the lips, which he returned in kind.

"Ronald, I don't mean to pry into your home life, but don't your parents feed you at all?" Dr. Possible asked as he looked the plate of waffles in Ron's hands, a plate whose contents he knew full well that the young man would easily devour with room to spare.

"Sure." Ron replied as he took a seat. "Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack age. But who could possibly turn down a meal with the Possibles?" Ron asked with a wide grin across his face.

"I'm home!" An older, female voice called out from the front door as it opened to admit her.

"Hi mom!" Kim called out as she watched her mother discard her coat in a nearby closet.

"Morning Mrs. Dr. P." Ron greeted, even over a mouthful of food.

"Long shift honey?" Mr. Dr. Possible asked, already knowing the answer, as he gave his wife a quick kiss as she entered the kitchen.

"Oh goodness. You have no idea. We had three triple bypasses, not to mention… hey waffles! Thanks kids. I'm starving." Mrs. Possible leaned over, eagerly accepting the cooked food from her two younger sons, prompting yet further looks of aggravation from their faces. The pair turned back to find more, only to find they were all out of waffles.

"So, Kim. Ronald. First day of school as seniors." The father Possible announced almost proudly. "Excited?"

"Not really." Kim replied rather simply.

"Totally." Ron's response came at almost the exact same instant, though it was much more enthusiastic than Kim's.

"Oh please. What's the big deal?" Kim asked her boyfriend. "High school is still high school."

"Not when you're a senior, KP." Ron countered. "No more upperclassmen stuffing me into lockers, no more of the disgusting, lowerclassmen food. We are at the top of the food chain KP. We rule the school. Let those who would oppose us fear our awesome senior power." Ron's voice had almost become a hushed awe.

"You might want to use some of that 'awesome senior power' of yours to try protecting your breakfast." Kim grinned. When Ron shot her a quizzical look, she indicated to his plate in front of him. Ron looked down to see his waffles had completely vanished. Only spare crumbs and an overly stuffed naked mole rat remained in their place.

"Rufus!" Ron's voice rose.

"Ho. Wasn't me." Rufus insisted weakly even as he rubbed his stomach contently.

"We probably better get going." Kim added even as she finished the last of her breakfast.

"You know, I hear in Texas, they have the death penalty for stealing another man's food." Ron threatened to Rufus as he scooped up the hairless rodent, dropping him into his pocket, while also leaning over to pick up his backpack.

"Jim! Tim! You two better get going too." The father Possible added.

"But…" Jim moved to explain.

"… we haven't even had break…" Tim tried to finish, but was cut off by his father.

"No excuses. Hop to it. And when you boys get home, we're going to have a long talk about rewiring the home appliances." Mr. Dr. Possible added firmly.

The twins groaned in mutual agony as they ran out of the kitchen and upstairs to grab their things.

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Kim and Ron had remained outside the Possible front door for ten seconds now, both not having moved a step. When Ron had come in, both he and Kim had been forced to restrain themselves to a simple, light kiss on the lips in front of Kim's father, so as to avoid awkwierdness at the table.

With Kim's father inside, and the young couple outside, they no longer saw further need for restraint.

Kim slowly pulled herself away from Ron's face, her dreamily sealed eyes opening as she stared back at him.

"We do have school you know." Kim reminded.

"True." Ron agreed, his grin not faltering in the slightest.

"Plus, my dad will likely put you into low orbit if he catches us out here." Kim added.

"Also very true." Ron concurred again.

"So, we really should get going." Kim found her voice losing its conviction the longer she looked into Ron's eyes.

"Well, before we go KP, I have something for you." Ron insisted, reaching into his pocket.

"You got me a back-to-school present?" Kim asked with a raised left eyebrow.

"Just a little something I got for you while I spent the summer in Japan. Meant to give it to you when I first got home, but…" Ron tried to offer an explanation, but Kim spared him.

"Wackiness ensued." Kim explained for Ron, rolling her eyes at the thought of the last couple days.

"Doesn't it always?" Ron asked rhetorically even as he continued to feel through his pockets. "Let's see here, yo-yo, Rufus, paper clips… I don't want to know… broken pencil, stale nacho, ah here we go!" Ron finally produced a small blue box which he handed to Kim.

"Ron, you shouldn't have." Kim insisted, even as she, rather anxiously, took the box from Ron's hand. Without bothering to wait for Ron to respond, her fingers removed the light blue ribbon wrapped rather simply around it, opening the box to reveal a silver chain necklace with a Japanese symbol or character of some kind that Kim didn't recognize.

"It's supposed to represent a person's soul. Giving it to someone is supposed to symbolize giving your spirit to that person, becoming their soul mate. It's kind of like getting married, only without all the rice throwing and crying relatives. Do you like it?" Ron's voice became hesitant.

Kim couldn't speak. Her breathing stuttered so as her mind took in Ron's words that all she could do was look at Ron with a wide-eyed look of joy.

Ron smiled as he took the necklace in his hand and moved behind Kim. Right on cue, Kim lifted her hair, affording Ron to bring the two ends of the necklace around her neck, linking them together behind her.

"I love you, Kim." Ron whispered softly into her ear, even as he placed his hands on her shoulder.

"I love you, Ron." Gentle tears moved down the side of Kim's cheek as she whispered her response. Bringing her head up, her lips met his again.

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"Shego, I've outdone myself." Drakken proclaimed proudly through the cavernous lair, his voice echoing off its stony walls and the various devices, test tubes, large computers and assorted other equipment that decorated the enormous room.

"Well, there's an accomplishment." Shego rolled her eyes as she sat, her feet propped up against a convenient terminal.

"Ha-ha, my new model of synthodrones is absolutely unbeatable. Unbeatable I say." Drakken had officially adopted the 'mad' part of his title as 'mad scientist.'

"Yeah, so are all your other inventions." Shego added with a sigh. "At least they're unbeatable right up till the princess beats them."

"Oh, not this time Shego." Drakken insisted as he hovered over his experiment with glee, watching as the new chemical compound he had designed flowed into the hallow shell in front of him, giving it form, and shortly afterwards, life. "My best work for sure, and this time I mean it. I even added a little special, personal touch."

"Let me guess, you gave it laser eyes, or something corny like that?" Shego asked.

"How did you…" Drakken's surprise revealed itself all across his face.

"I just thought of the corniest, stupidest thing I could." Shego grinned, proud of herself for the spare shot.

"Grr, well it can do other things!" Drakken insisted loudly, even as he activated the control to bring the test table upon which the blank synthodrone lay upright.

Out of mild curiosity, Shego turned around in her chair to see the synthodrone shell. The shell itself was a completely blank, grey, featureless slate, shaped with the outline of a human but nothing else.

"This is it. This stupid mannequin is your new 'super-syntho'?" Shego asked.

"Hey, super-syntho." Drakken repeated to himself with an impressed smile. "I like it. That's catchy. And as for you Ms. Snooty, I think you'll find that looks are no problem with this new model."

Right on cue, the synthodrone's form began to change, the featureless grey shell morphing before Shego's very eyes, its plain visage distorting to take on a particular outline and shape, its skin transforming into a predetermined collection of colors. Even Shego could not help but let out a look of surprise as she finally recognized the familiar shape of Drakken's new synthodrone.

"I'm back!" The visage of Eric grinned as he stepped off the table.


	2. First Day Back

_"All love that has not friendship for its base is like a mansion built upon sand." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox_

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For some mysterious reason that scientists will likely never discover about our universe, senior year brings new perspective to high school students. The hall ways seem less intimidating than ever, the desks all seem smaller, and even the food seems just slightly more edible.

Sadly, one dark skinned beauty, better known to her friends as Monique, was discovering that even as a senior, lockers were still cruel devices invented to taunt high school students and separate them from their possessions and their sanity. Even as she entered the sequence of numbers the office had insisted made up the combination on her locker for the third time, the metal door continued to mock her, remaining firmly sealed.

"Need a hand." A friendly voice offered to the would-be damsel in distress.

"Well, if it ain't my own personal knight in shinning armor." Monique grinned at the sight of her friend.

"I even ride in on my own silver horse." Felix teased as he moved to swiftly hit Monique's locker in a precise spot, causing it to clang and clatter open.

"Wow." Monique grinned impressed. "Smart, handy, strong and none too painful on the eyes either. How is it you're still available?"

"Cause you're the only girl whose eyes are as sharp as the rest of her." Felix smiled.

"Careful cutie. Flattery will get you everywhere with a girl." Monique ran her fingers playfully through Felix's hair before depositing a handful of her possessions in her locker, closing it warily, and turning to walk down the hall. Around her, her fellow classmates ran around, some of them bearing cans of spray paint. The senior class had decided, as an opening prank for the year to sneak into the school early and spray paint the words "Property of the Seniors" on various lockers, class doors, and in several other creative places. Monique was only a few minutes early herself, arriving as most of her more enthusiastic classmates had finished with their fun.

"So, you seen Kim yet?" Felix asked as he moved down the hallways with Monique at his side.

"'Fraid not. Tried calling her up this morning, but her folks said she had already left for school. I'm kinda worried about her frankly. I was hoping that Ron…"

"Ron!" Felix exclaimed, cutting Monique off in mid-sentence

"What about him?" Monique asked, noting the wide eyed expression on Felix's face.

"He's here." He replied.

"Where?" Monique looked off in the direction that Felix was starring. Her gaze did eventually come upon the form of her friend, Kim Possible's unmistakable figure and fashion sense. However, escorting her with his arm wrapped around hers was some strange figure with long blonde hair and an impressive physical build that she did not recognize at first. "You mean behind that guy next to Kim?"

"That is Ron next to Kim!" Felix explained as if he could no more believe what he had just said than she could.

"That's not… oh my lord, that is Ron!" Monique's breath was taken away by the astounding transformation that Ron had undergone. In just the few short months that he had been away, he had completely changed. His Smarty Mart attire poorly concealed an impressive new build that filled out his clothes rather snuggly. Even his dorky, if loveable, hair had changed, now much longer and more free flowing. Monique was so entranced that it took several jabs from Felix to her side to snap her out of it, at which point he subtly indicated that her mouth was hanging open. Monique was just able to correct this social faux paw as the couple walked up to the two friends.

"Hey Monique! Hey Felix!" Ron greeted excitedly.

Felix pretended to look perplexed, which wasn't too great a stretch of the imagination. "So Kim, what happened? Ron couldn't make it, so you got some model to walk around, dressed up like him?"

"Uhh, Felix, it's me." Ron defended.

"She sure got the look down; he's even got Ron's freckles." Monique added in Felix's game as she moved to wrap her arms around Ron's spare arm, shooting him a flirtatious look. "I don't know what Kim's told you, but Ron and I always study together after school, and he likes to take his shirt off when we do."

"Monique!" Kim let out, revealing her shock in her voice.

"Uhh, Monique, it really is me." Ron insisted mildly.

"I don't know. Your hair's all wrong for one." Felix teased.

"Plus, your posture is actually upright and straight." Monique added.

"Hey!" Ron replied defensively.

"And you have a beautiful girl around your arm. That's definitely a first for Ron." Felix went on.

"Ok, now you're just being mean." Ron shot Felix a half venomous look.

"Plus your jaw is too chiseled." Monique stroked the aforementioned area slowly.

"Monique!" It was Kim's turn to shoot Monique a dirty look as she gritted her friend's name through her teeth.

"And I don't see any nacho stains on his clothes." Felix noted.

"And his pants are up." Monique almost sounded disappointed.

"Ok guys! Seriously! Fun's over. It's me. Ron, the Ron man. Really. May all the nacos in the land go stale if I'm lying." Ron raised his hands, partially in imitation of a formal vow, and in surrender of the pair's relentless assault.

"What do you think?" Felix looked to Monique with a wide grin.

"It's him." At this, Monique threw her arms around Ron. "So how you been Sir Studely? Kim didn't tell me you were home, though I guess I can't blame her for wanting to keep you all to herself for a few days." Monique raised her eyebrow as she looked over at Kim, her facial expression filled with implication.

"Monique, if you're done with him, can I have my boyfriend back please?" Kim asked, half teasingly, and the other half not so much so.

Monique's hold on Ron relented, even as she shot him a wink. "Welcome back Ron." Monique added warmly.

"Happy to be back Mon." Ron smiled. "I got a lot to catch you up on."

Ron's recollections were destined to wait a moment longer as the dreaded school bell rang, indicating that classes were still being held, even for the seniors.

"Talk to you at lunch." Monique added as she and Felix headed off down the hall, the two already aware that they shared the same first class together.

"See ya there." Ron waved the pair off.

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"This year is super important for the cheer squad." Bonnie Rockwaller insisted fiercely, even though none of the famous Mad Dog Cheerleading Squad, almost all of whom were sitting around her in the school cafeteria, really disputed the fact. "It's our last chance for most of us to really show off what we can do, and I just don't think we can do that with someone like Kim leading the squad."

A collective sigh went out across the table as most of the squad rolled their eyes almost in perfect unison. They had all heard this speech before, and they all could practically recite the fine points by memory in their sleep!

"Hello!" Bonnie replied defensively, noting the looks of apathy in her fellow team members. "Am I the only one who thinks that its important that we have a cheerleader captain who isn't off running around the world instead of coming up with new cheers for the team?" Bonnie argued.

"But Kim's never missed a practice or a competition and she always has good routines for the team." Tara replied sincerely.

"So far." Bonnie's fearsome tone did not waver in the slightest. "But this is senior year, and we need better than good. We need excellence, perfection. We need me" Bonnie replied simply, as if it were the most simple and obvious solution imaginable.

"But you were already captain once. You quit." Tara reminded.

"Don't change the subject!" Bonnie barked in response.

Tara slowly looked to her other teammates for either sympathy or support, but instead found looks of astonishment etched into all their faces. Their gazes, however, were not focused either on Tara or Bonnie, but on something else in the distance. Tara traced their line of sight back to a tall blonde figure wearing eerily familiar clothing.

"Hey ladies." The voice of Ron Stoppable came from the incredible angelic figure as it walked past the cheerleading squad, prompting only a faint, dreamy "hey Ron" from most of the figures at the table.

From her table, Kim absently picked at her food as she watched this display; a look of concern slowly worked its way across her face. The necklace Ron had given her only hours ago dangled openly from her slender neck, and she couldn't resist temptation to fiddle with it needingly as he sat down next to her.

"You know, I'm starting to think you might have been right KP. Being a senior may be overrated after all. I mean, what good is awesome senior power if you still can't land a Naco for lunch." Ron bit down into what was to pass for a baloney and cheese sandwich at the high school. "Of course, there is still something to be said about the service I guess. This is the first time I didn't need super speed to grab food from a dinning lady in months."

"Hope you don't lose your edge." Kim grinned weakly as she struggled to dismiss her growing worries.

Ron paused only a moment before asking the obvious question. "Ok KP, so spill. What's eating you?"

Kim's eyes flew open at the question. "Wrong? What... me, wrong. Come on, Ron, why would you…?"

"You're stabbing your lunch." Ron answered without flinching.

"I'm what?" Kim's confusion and excitement endured.

"With your fork." Ron explained. "Whenever you've got something on your mind, you always poke your food with your fork over and over again. The first time you saw Josh Mankey, you horribly mangled some poor meatloaf till it resembled tuna… which is just all kinds of wrong right there, but beside the point. So what's up KP?"

Kim didn't know whether to curse or bless the fact that Ron knew her every tell by memory, but seeing as it would be a futile gesture to try and deny it at this point, she came clean.

"Ron… you've changed." Kim noted the terrified reaction growing in Ron's face and hurried her explanation. "You're so different now, so much… bigger." A deep crimson hue burned into Kim's cheeks as she spoke.

"What, you don't like it? I-I can change back if it makes you uneasy KP, I…" Ron insisted frantically, but was silenced by Kim's anxious hands.

"No, no." Kim was already starting to regret opening her mouth, but the damage was done and it needed to be repaired now. "Ron, I love the new you, really. Not that I didn't love the old you, it's just the new you is so…."

"Bigger?" Ron asked.

"Yes! No, wait, that's not the point." Kim wanted to crawl inside her shirt and simply disappear, but the look of restrained terror in Ron's face steeled her against doing so. "It's just; a lot of girls in school are noticing you now."

"KP, if this is about what Monique was saying, I swear, I don't take my shirt off!" Ron's voice was becoming more and more anxious by the moment.

"No, Ron. I know that." Kim took in a deep breath before beginning again, taking special care with her choice of wording as she began. "It's just… you sometimes have a tendency to get a little… big headed, when things are going your way."

"You mean like with my Naco royalties?" Ron's voice was still serious, though his facial features relaxed slightly as realization slowly dawned on him.

"Well, that is one relevant example." Kim agreed uneasily.

"Or that time I wore that muscle ring and got all super built." Ron continued.

"Yeah."

"And that time with my new haircut." Ron went on.

"Well, I was the one that pushed you into that." Kim had become more than a little uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking.

"And my 'bad boy' phase." Ron added.

"Ron, enough. Really." Kim almost pleaded. "Look, I'm not trying to guilt you or anything. I just… just tell me that your new look isn't going to give you a big head and I promise I'll never bring up the subject ever again."

Ron hesitated only so long as it took him to place his sandwich aside and grab Kim's fork hand before speaking again. "KP, I know I can get carried away about a lot of things sometimes, and there are some things that are just always going to push my buttons no matter what, like bendy straws, summer camp, monkeys, and little Diablos… and super villains who can never remember my name, no matter how many times I tell them…"

"Ron." Kim brought his focus back.

"Oh. Right. Ahh, well you see what I mean." Ron grinned sheepishly. "But there is nothing in this world KP that will ever make me forget how special you are to me. I have the most beautiful, smart, amazing girlfriend in the whole world, and there is no way even I am dumb enough to ever do anything that would risk messing that up. So whatever else happens to me Kim, I promise I will never get so caught up that I would ever do anything to hurt you."

All at once, Kim's nervousness, her anxiousness, indeed all the tension at their table evaporated. Kim could only smile as she pulled Ron in for a kiss with one hand, while her other tightly grasped onto the necklace dangling around her neck.

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"You can't be serious." Shego looked on with shock as Eric's figure rose off the table and stood upright and proud next to Drakken.

"Oh, I've never been more serious in my life." Drakken sneered proudly as he stood tall next to his creation, his chest held high in the air.

"Hey mom." Eric taunted to Shego.

"Ok, first off, junior: wrong… sick." Shego turned her gaze back to Drakken. "Second, what is wrong with you Dr. D? If at first you don't succeed, what, you just try, try again with the same idea that didn't work the first time?" Shego asked incredulously.

"Shego, let me ask you something. What is Kim Possible?" Dr. Drakken raised his head in imitation of sophisticate philosophy.

"A do gooder who always kicks your butt?" Shego replied.

"Grrrr. Beside that." Drakken insisted.

"Way younger than Shego." Eric stated confidently as he sneered at the green and black super villain.

"Too slick for pretty boy paste here." Shego responded savagely as she turned towards Eric.

"Now this is not a productive area of reasoning here." Drakken added, noting the conversation had somehow taken a sharp turn away from the point it had been intended to make.

"Someone who likes to kick around the hired help." Eric continued to Shego's face.

"Someone whose boyfriend's stupid rat turned you into an ugly stain on the roof." Shego whipped back in response.

"Rent-a-thug." Eric yelled.

"Blow up doll." Shego shouted back.

"ENOUGH!" Drakken's voice thundered throughout the lair, bringing them both to silence. "Kim Possible is a teenager. A teenager!" Drakken exclaimed.

Shego and Eric both wore blank expressions on their faces as they looked at each other before turning back to the mad scientist.

"Yeah, we got that part figured out." Shego replied. "So now that we're all caught up, want to explain why you brought back the inflatable boyfriend here?"

"Because, Eric is most suited to exploiting Kim Possible's one, and only weakness." Drakken stated.

"Hmm, gee, this sounds familiar. Oh wait, now I remember. You tried this already!" Shego shouted in rage, as though her every word had been completely lost upon her employer. "Huey, Duey, and Gooey over there already tried the whole boyfriend routine, and ended up leaking all over your plan. Kimmie is not going to fall for that trick twice, especially since she and that loser side kick of hers are playing tonsil hockey in their spare time."

"Kim is dating the dork?" Eric asked in disbelief. "Man, she really went for the desperate rebound after me, didn't she?"

"Boy, tell me about it. I mean, I can see him drooling all over her, but who'd a thought she'd ever actually go along with it." Shego agreed.

"We're losing focus here people!" Drakken's voice became enraged again.

"What's the point? Kim already knows what Eric looks like, so he's not going to be able to pretend to be her boyfriend again." Shego argued.

"Oh won't he?" Drakken smiled pleasantly as he nodded to Eric.

On cue, Eric's figure again began to morph. His appearance and size even distorting and changing until he finally assumed the shape of a blonde haired, freckled young man whose name Drakken could never remember.

"I think I'll manage." Eric's voice laughed from Ron Stoppable's face and body.


	3. First Blood Drawn

_"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate." – Sun Tzu_

Crisp fall weather brought colored leaves all across the Middleton High School campus. It also brought a seasonal activity that Ron Stoppable always enjoyed watching, even if it was at a cost to his masculine reputation, which was barely existent as it was, to admit to.

Cheerleader practice.

Ron's own routine as the Middleton Mad Dog didn't change much from game to game. He moved around like a dog, let out rough barks, and occasionally foamed at the mouth. Kim had light heartidely joked once that he was at his most charming when exhibiting this behavior. Bonnie had made a similar statement once, though much less playfully than Kim. However, Ron always enjoyed watching the cheer squard practice a new routine, as they did today.

Ron felt a great peace flow through his being as he watched Kim work with the cheer squad. He had always loved watching her durring their practices. It wasn't the cheer outfits. Sure they worked wonders with a young man's imagination, and even Ron could bring himself to admire Kim's amazing form as revealed by the outfits petite size, but that wasn't it.

It was the way Kim moved during the routines. So naturally, so magnificently. She possesed incredible grace, almost as if she were ready to leap into the air at a moment's notice and never return to the ground again. She could leap on top of a cheer pyramid as if she had learned how to do it the same day she had discovered how to walk.

"Alright girls. One more time and we'll call it a day."

As Ron heard Kim call out, he seized his opprotunity to head in to the lockers. He knew what would happen next. Bonnie would start chewing out Kim for wasting the team's time on a stupid routine in the first place, Kim would argue back, the cheer squad would end up practicing the routine once more anyway, and then they would all head in. That gave Ron just enough time to rush back and change into his own clothes before the ladies swarmed the locker rooms. If there was one thing every guy at Middleton High knew, it was that being caught anywhere near the cheer lockers when the team was changing was a risk simply not worth taking, at least not if one valued his ability to proclaim himself a man.

Ron was in and out of the showers and into his clothes in record time. He came out of the locker room just as he finished pulling his shirt down over his chest. As Ron pulled his head out from beneath his shirt, he found himself face to face with a familiar blonde cheerleader that he remember all too well.

"Tara!"

"Hey Ron. I heard you left for the summer. Some of the girls said you had even moved away. I'm glad you're still here." Tara's smile was wide, and her eyes dug deep.

"Oh, yeah. Just spent a lot of time traveling. Looking at colleges and seeing the world and all." Ron recalled his cover story. It was a lot more plausible than a summer spent at an ancient secret ninja school.

"Wherever you went seems to agree with you. You're looking buff." Tara left hand wrapped itself around Ron's bicep, gentle squeezing the firm muscles.

"Just staying in shape. So how are you and Josh doing?"

"Oh we broke up a few months ago." She replied simply.

"Aww. That's too bad." Ron replied sympathetically.

"It's no big deal. We just kinda went our separate ways. Say Ron, are you doing anything Saturday night?" Tara's voice raised slightly as she gave voice to her thoughts.

"Saturday?" Ron's voice became a little uneasy as he suddenly became aware that he was tredding in dangerous territory. "Uhh, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday…. I've… uhh… got … cartoons… with Kim. I mean, I've got cartoons, and then I'm going out with Kim." Ron was suddenly wishing that he had paid more attention in classes when the teachers were discussing the ability to disappear before another person's very eyes.

"Oh. Well if you change your plans, call me." Tara said simply, before turning around and walking away.

Ron let out a sigh of relief before turning around, coming face to face with a sight that seized his chest tightly.

"Cartoons?" Kim asked, her eyebrows raised expectantly, a look of amusment on her face.

"KP!" Ron shouted anxiously. "Uhhmm, how long have you been there?" Ron rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Relax Ron. It's no big, so long as you have something more planned for Saturday than just cartoons."

"Well, I wasn't going to spoil anything, but since it has technically been months since our last date, I was kinda hoping to make up for lost time this Saturday." Ron relaxed as he explained.

"Oh really!" A smile grew across Kim's face. "Do tell."

"Sorry KP. I've said too much already. You are definitely not breaking the Stoppable fortress of endurance on this one." Ron beamed almost smuggly.

For a moment, Kim considered releasing her dreaded Puppy Dog Pout, but decided that she liked the idea of waiting till Saturday for the surprise, and so resisted the temptation.

"Till Saturday then."

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Eric navigated the familiar halls of Middleton High school, a wave of revulsion coming over him. There had been no greater agony for him, no nightmare that he could concieve of, that would ever compare to his first setting foot within these halls, smiling in the faces of so many worthless brats. Having to smile at some hairless rodent, listen to that whiney blonde haired dork… and that cheerleader… Nothing could ever compare to having to hold her hand, pretending to lock eyes while sharing a soda with her, having to chase after her pretending not to dream of the day when his master would finally grind her and that stupid lovesick puppy she called a sidekick into the ground beneath his feet.

The thought of getting a second chance sent a smile across Eric's face. Oh there had been nothing so satisfing as the moment when he finally burst her bubble, knocking that stupid dreamy smile off her face. Seeing the soul crushing look of defeat on her face when she realized that she was even more of a fake than he was.

As Eric readied himself, he made a vow; before this was was over, he would see that look again in her face.

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"Homework KP. Homework! And homework yesterday! It was only the first day of school yesterday! Being a senior tanks." Ron Stoppable said dejectidly as he shoved his books into his locker.

"So that 'awesome senior power' of yours doesn't work on your math teacher?" Kim asked with mock surprise.

"I swear, she doubled the length of the assignment as soon as I mentioned the words. It's a vicious conspiracy Kim. The Teacher is trying to keep the seniors down. It's an injustice KP. We have to do something." Ron's words became hushed with importance and determination.

"I'll be sure to alert Global Justice." Kim rolled her eyes with a smile, causing her to look up at the clock. "I gotta go. See ya after last period." Kim leaned forward, trading a light kiss with Ron.

"Boo-yah." Ron replied. Ron took a second longer to admire the view of Kim walking off before turning back to his locker.

"Stoppable!" A thunderous voice, far more intimidating than that of any super villain, roared with authority.

"Mr. Barkin!" Ron snapped to attention. "Uhh, how are you sir?"

"Stoppable, don't play games with me. I expect to see you in detention after school today. Three PM sharp, don't be late." Barkin leaned in, glaring fiercely at Ron.

"Detention?" Ron's face cracked into a state of confusion. "But Mr. Barkin, I didn't do anything… I don't think." Ron paused to consider the matter.

"Ignorance is not an excuse at this school mister. You do have detention. If I have to recite why, you will have two of them. Now I expect to see you in the library immediately after school or else there will be… consequences." Barkin leaned, bringing himself face to face with Ron. "I trust I need not elaborate further."

Ron let out a slight gulp. "B-but isn't detention in your office?" He asked weakly.

"There have been some changes to the way things are done around. I apologize for not informing you earlier." Barkin's gaze could have melted steel.

"Really?"

"NO! Now get moving Stoppable. We don't tolerate loitering, not in my halls." Barkin backed away just enough to stand upright, back at attention.

"Yes sir." Ron replied defeatidely as he walked away.

The figure of Mr. Barkin waited until the hallways were completely clear, before letting out a sigh. As he did, his features began to change and morph back into those of Drakken's newest monstrosity.

"That's for thinking you ever mattered to anyone." Eric sneered.

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"Detention?" Kim asked incredulously. "What did you do?"

"Probably breathed in restricted area. I'm telling you KP, the Teachers are out to oppress the seniors and keep us from realizing our potential." Ron shouted out, as if to rally support to his cause.

"Come on Ron, be serious. Think now, what did you do?" Kim's gaze narrowed in on Ron's face.

"Nothing! I swear, I was just done talking to you, and all of a sudden, Barkin shows up and tells me I have to report to the library after school." Ron recited the still painful memory fresh in his mind.

"I thought detentions were in the principle's office."

"Me too! Sorry Kim, I guess I'll have to catch up with you after practice." Ron offered sympathetically.

Kim let out a brief sigh before finally answering. "Ok. Look, why don't I go talk to Barkin about this. There's got to be some mistake here. As bad as he is, I don't think he'd give you detention without a reason."

"Appreciate the thought KP, but I'm telling you, the Teachers…" Ron moved to renew his rant when Kim silenced him with a finger over his lips.

"I'll go talk to him. In the meantime, be good, stay out of trouble, and keep your awesome senior powers to yourself till I get this worked out."

"You're the best KP." Ron leaned forward, kissing Kim lightly on the lips.

"And don't you forget it, especially not this Saturday." Kim smiled before leaning in to share another kiss.

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Kim eventually found her way to Barkin's office. It was the only principle's office in the history of the world with a hand made sign saying "No Joy Allowed" over the front door. Of course, the sign was actually a mock gift from a previous graduating class, but Barkin had kept it up there for many years now. No one had ever bothered to inquire just how old the sign really was.

As Kim knocked, she was beckoned inside by a familiar voice.

"Possible" Barkin spoke in acknowledgement. "If this is about extracaricular activities, I've told you, the school just doesn't have any more for you to join."

"No, that's ok." Kim replied. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about Ron."

"Oh, Stoppable." Barkin's voiced a sigh as he sat down in his chair. "Ok, what did he do now?"

"Well that's what I wanted to ask you."

"I beg your pardon."

"You gave him detention. You told him to report to the library after school." Kim replied with hestiation in her voice.

"Don't be foolish Possible. Detention's always in my office. It lets me keep an eye on the misfits and rejects while catching up on my paperwork. In fact, the first of them should be arriving shortly." Barkin stated as he looked down at his watch.

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Kim rushed down the hallway, anxious to tell Ron the news, even as she struggled to ponder this little mystery. Was Barkin just trying to scare Ron to keep him from getting caught up on this whole senior trip that he had been on? It did seem to make sense, but that didn't explain why Barkin wouldn't admit to it. Lying wasn't really consistent with his personality.

Sadly, a much more horrible explanation offered itself as Kim rounded the corner. She turned about just in time to see Ron, his lips locked tightly with Tara's, his hands running down her backside, dangerously close to her buttocks.

Words failed her. Kim found herself struggling to fight back the urge to choke right on the spot. Her eyes shot wide, and she froze in space, unable to move, or even think. She remained this way until the pair finally noticed her.

"Kim!" Tara turned a deep red across the cheeks as she pushed herself away from Ron, her hands moving to recompose herself as best they could. Ron, on the other hand, merely smiled at the realization that he had been caught in the act.

"Hey KP." Ron's voice was smooth and slick as grease. It reminded her of Bonnie. "Well, I gotta say, this is akward."

Kim couldn't speak. She could barely even breath as she struggled to hold back a damn of tears, mere seconds from bursting behind her eyes.

"I'm sorry Kim. I've been very insentive, but hey, there's plenty of Ron to go around." Ron wore an arrogant grin as he strode up to Kim, his lips moving to kiss her.

Rage burned through Kim as her hands shot out, pushing Ron into the side of a nearby locker.

"Get away from me." Kim let out in a cold whisper, even as tears began streaking down her cheeks.

"Now Kim, I know you're being very emotional, and I forgive you." His arrogant smile never faded for a second as he moved towards Kim again.

"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kim shouted in blinding rage as she pressed hard again, slamming him loudly back into the locker, leaving an impression in the metal door.

"Alright Kim. I'll give you some time to cool off. When you're ready to calm down, we'll talk some more." Ron replied in mock surrender as he took off casually down the hall, heading down the very way that Kim had come.

Kim's enraged visage turned to Tara, who merely wore a horrified look of shock and embarassment as she ran down the hallway as well, leaving Kim to crumble to the ground in tears.


	4. Closing The Noose

Author's Note: Presenting the long overdue writting debute of Miracleboy5200. Sorry for keeping him on the sidelines for so long everyone. Hopefully he'll forgive me. I do have the support of the Garden gnome/Ninja Monkey union in case though.

_"O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands." – Sun Tzu_

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"Tell me to report to an empty library. It figures, play with the senior's minds. Well I am going to write a strong letter to the school board. It's just not fair." Ron was muttering under his breath with disgust when he turned the corner to see Kim knelt crying on the floor.

"KP what's wrong? " Why are you crying?" "Are you hurt?" He asked walking towards her with a concerned expression on his face.

Kim only sniveled and whimpered. "How could you?" She asked with a shaky voice as she stood up to face him. Looking into her eyes Ron could see such sorrow that it brought stabbing pain to his chest.

"How could I what?" Wondering what she was talking about, he could only stare as she looked at him in disgust.

Kim reached to her neck, clenched the necklace Ron had given her that morning, violently tugged it free, threw it at him, slapped him in the face and screamed, "How could you!" Then she turned and run away leaving Ron alone in the empty hall dazed and confused.

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Tara was halfway down the east hall in pursuit of Ron. "It's all my fault, this is all my fault," she said to herself. " How could I have let my feeling's get in the way of my friendship with Kim?" Tara had known Kim since her freshmen year they had been good friends. Tara would never do anything to hurt Kim nor would she ever want to. But this, this of all things was the worst she could have ever done. " I need to fix this…I have to make thing's right between Kim and Ron, they belong together." She was determined to solve the problem.

Desperate to make things right pursuing Ron she saw him enter an abandoned classroom. Curious and confused Tara followed. With great hesitation she opened the door and quietly looked inside. Ron was standing in the middle of the classroom, talking to himself. "Phase one of the mission is complete father". She has broken off ties with her boyfriend and is emotionally vulnerable. Shall I move to phase two?" Tara heard another voice; a strange chuckle, but no one else was in the room.

"Well done Eric… ah Kim Possible in agony, music to my ears…Proceed with phase two."

What Tara saw next shocked her, Ron's features transformed into Josh Mankey instantly. Tara unable to control herself let out a loud gasp. Josh or Ron, who ever it was immediately turned towards Tara leaving her no place to run. At first Tara didn't know what to do, she was staring at a face that looked like Josh Mankey but it wasn't Josh. The Josh she knew always wore a smile; his eye's always glistened. This face had a frown and a look of darkness in his eyes. She was paralyzed for only a few second then she slowly backed away. As Josh moved towards here she knew she had to get away. She began running down the hallway. She was about to get away when she felt a powerful hand grab her arm and pull her back. She tried to struggle but his grip was too powerful.

Suddenly without warning Tara felt paralyzed, not with fear but with electricity, she was being shocked. The sensation was both alarming and painful, she felt herself getting weaker and weaker. The harder she tried to break his grip the weaker she became finally so weak she collapsed into Josh's arms.

Looking around to make sure no one had seen them Eric carried the half conscious Tara to a cluster of old lockers. Stuffing her in and then getting in himself he closed the locker door. This was strange to Tara, flashes of light began emanating, and the locker started shaking as if they were in an earthquake. Tara could only think this was the end, _I am __going to die, and in a school locker, gross!_

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When Eric opened the locker door they were no longer in Middleton high school. They were in a large room unlike anything Tara had seen before. Two figures approached; one was a women, but she was green, too green in Tara's mind and she wore green.

"_Someone need's to give that girl some fashion sense"_ Tara thought.

The other was a blue man; he was actually a man who had blue skin. "_Where am I, who are these people and who dressed them?_" Tara wondered.

"Eric!" The blue man screamed. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you brought this girl here?" With some hesitation Eric replied.

"She saw me transform I had to bring her here. It's just a minor set back father."

"Better be the last set back Eric. We're too close to have such screw up's" Drakken said angrily. With a snap of his fingers two men appeared grabbing Tara out of Eric's hands then exited the room. "Shego!" Drakken yelled with a stern look on his face. He didn't even have to say another word, she knew what he wanted. She left the room in the direction the guards had left with the girl.

"Now then…" Drakken said looking at Eric with a crude smile. "Where is the heartbroken Kim Possible now?"

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No one in the Possible house had ever seen Kimberly so sad. When she came home she walked straight up into her room without even a "hello". It wasn't until they heard her cries that they realized something was terribly wrong. Looking over his newspaper that he didn't get to finish that morning, Mr. Possible looked across the room at his wife, a look he meant to mean 'please you take this one, I am not equipped.'

Smiling Mrs. Possible gave her husband a kiss on the cheek as she made her way to Kim's room. "Kim… Honey what's wrong" she asked concern as she stood outside her daughter's bedroom door.

"Go away nothing's wrong." Kim replied, unconvincingly.

"Kim I'm your mother. Believe me I know when something is wrong". I can stand out here all afternoon or you can let me in and we can talk about it. Unless of course you want to continue denying that you're upset and refuse to talk about it?"

At first, silence, then slowly the door opened revealing a sad heartbroken teenage girl. Kim collapsed into her mother's arms sobbing away. "Oh, honey, it can't be that bad, tell me everything," she said trying to comfort her daughter.

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Ron Stoppable was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling trying to understand what had happened to him in the last few hours. Questions kept popping in his head, like popcorn in a microwave. _What had happened, why was Kim crying? What had he done to make her so angry? Why did she scream and slap me in my face? _Ron clenched his fists in aggravation. There was no logical explanation and he was angry and sad all at the same time. He had seen Kim upset before but something about this was different. Something he couldn't figure out.

"Something must've happened to KP to make her act like this but what?" Ron wondered. The more he thought about it the more upset he got. "What should I do?" he asked himself. Then he slapped himself in the head "Duh go talk to Kim and try to fix this." As he was getting up to leave his phone rang.

Excited, Ron quickly rationalized "It must be Kim". She was the only one who knew the number to the phone in his room. As he reached for the receiver his hands were trembling pushing the talk button he said " Hello?"

"Ron?" Said a familiar voice.

"KP?" Ron said confirming if it was Kim.

"Ron I want to talk to you about what happened today could you come over?" she asked.

Confused and relieved he replied "Yeah sure I'll be right there," With that said he hung up the phone, slipped on his shoes and ran outside in the direction of Kim's house.

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Ms. Possible was almost as shocked as Kim when she heard what had transpired that morning. "Oh honey there's probably a good explanation for all this." She said trying to stay positive. Kim gave an expression that showed disbelief in her mothers' statement.

"A good explanation are you serious?". Kim looked surprised. Mrs. Possible could see that her daughter was about to cry again.

"I think I know what you need right now…" Mrs. Possible said with a look of happiness in her face. "Hot chocolate with marshmallows I'll be right back" her mother said with a smile as she left the room. Kim sat bewildered. _A logical explanation, yea, easy for her to say. She didn't just see Dad sucking face with her best friend. Mothers, hot coco it's not even cold out. I need to get a grip, this is not as bad as it seems, But then what could be worse, my best friend and boyfriend kissing._ Kim began to sob again.

Downstairs in the kitchen Mrs. Possible began rummaging though the cupboards to find the hot chocolate. "Hot chocolate, what was I thinking? She said out loud to no one in particular. When the doorbell rang she jumped in surprised. As she made her way to the door she hoped Ron was waiting on the other side. "It's about time this gets cleared up."

But instead of Ron it was Josh Mankey. "Hey Mrs. Possible, is Kim Home?"

Surprised and a little confused she let him in. "She's upstairs in her room."

"Okay, cool, thanks" he said with a smirk as he went upstairs.

_Having a friend over might help Kim get through this dilemma._ Mrs. Possible said to herself, _but I don't know if he would be the friend I would have picked. " Maybe I should give Ron and see what's up."_

Before she could contemplate that idea another knock came from the door. This time it did revealed Ron.

"Hey Mrs. Dr. P is Kim around".

"Ye…Yes…" She said surprised at the fact that he was there right when she was about to call. "She's upstairs in her room."

"Thanks Dr. P" Ron said heading upstairs. With a cheerful look on his face he headed down the hallway towards Kims room. Confident that whatever happened today he and Kim would get through it together like they always did.

At Kims door he gave a light knock "Kim" he said entering her room. As he pushed the door open what he saw nearly made him choke. Kim was kissing Josh Mankey, no just a kiss, a lips locked go at it kiss. Joshs arms were wrapped around her holding her tightly. What he didn't notice was Kim's arms pushing Josh's shoulders away, not holding them as Ron thought .

"No" He said with tearful eyes.

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Note: Hope you enjoyed. I'm back to update the next chapter soon. Sorry for keeping this project delayed for so long everyone. It's my fault largely.


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